Functionalism A Sociological Theory Essay - 2057 Words

Functionalism is a sociological theory that refers to the role of the sick person and the role of the doctor. It refers to the norms and customs of society (Julius, 2014) and it sees that society is a single unit in which each aspect will benefit from the other (Alderson, n.d.). The role of the sick person requires them to have the intention of getting better and understand that being ill is not desirable. On the other hand, the role of the doctor is to legitimise the person’s illness. The issue with this sociological theory is that it does not take into account that being sick and having a disability is not the same thing (Oliver, 1998). Due to this issue, it could possibly change how paramedics may be able to manage or treat a patient. Throughout this essay, the topics of disability, functionalism in healthcare, how disabilities can be construed as not being ‘sick’, how paramedics assess a patient and how functionalism can impact the management of certain patie nts with certain illnesses will be touched upon. In Australia, we use the definition of disability that has been set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) (â€Å"Technical definitions of disability† n.d.). According to the WHO, a disability is an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions (â€Å"Disability† n.d.). In Australia, the disability prevalence rate remained comparatively stable. 18.3 percent of Australians reported living with a disability in 2015, which equated toShow MoreRelatedSociological Theories And Concepts Of Functionalism And Stratification1515 Words   |  7 Pagesinitiation of Social Order, which still concerns sociologists to this day. 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